In medical practice, there are certain types of surgical operations where a considerable amount of fluid is generated in the wound. It is necessary to remove not only the liquid, but also other particles that may intrude into the wound. Such particles can hamper healing and can bring about infection. Also, if there is any infection in the wound, the removal of pus and other detritus is important to prevent the formation of more bacteria. Years ago, it was the practice to use a wick that extended through the incision and soaked up such fluids. The difficulty with a wick is that bacteria residing in the wick tended to multiply and to increase the possibility of further infection. Eventually, it became the practice to use evacuating equipment, such as a vacuum pump, to keep the wound free of fluids. These pumps are very expensive and intricate and, for the latter reason, it became common for the bacteria and other contamination to remain in the pump. Furthermore, in order to remove such contamination, it was necessary to autoclave and otherwise sterilize the pump and all the accessory equipment. This was a complicated operation and was not entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a wound evacuator including a disposable container.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a device for removing fluid from a wound by a vacuum suction process in which the non-disposable elements are easily sterilized.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a wound evacuator which is simple in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a wound evacuator that includes a transparent bag having markings to indicate the volume of the contents.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a vacuum-type wound evacuator in which reflux action is minimized.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device for evacuating a surgical wound, which device includes no electrical motors or electrical connections.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a wound evacuator which can be operated and the fluid container removed without possibility of the hospital attendant coming in contact with the fluids.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.